After parting ways with Rudolf.
Myriad Dreams ultimately didn't dare return to the dormitory immediately.
She could almost picture the scene: Yaeno Muteki holding a steaming cup of deep-colored tea, waiting for her with a gaze that mixed concern with a refusal to take "no" for an answer.
Just thinking about it made a shiver go down her spine.
She sighed and found a random bench on campus to slump onto.
Staring at the sky in distress, she pondered how to deal with those "stat monsters" at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Just then, a lighthearted and somewhat infectious humming drifted closer:
"Hachimi, Hachimi, Hachimi~ Hachimi wo nameru to~♫"
Myriad Dreams turned her head to see Tokai Teio passing by with her signature vibrant stride.
She was holding a brightly colored drink, her face radiant with a satisfied smile.
"Ah! It's Myriad-senpai!"
Teio spotted her as well and immediately flashed a brilliant smile in greeting. "Good afternoon!"
"It's Teio. Good afternoon," Myriad Dreams replied, momentarily setting aside her worries.
Being the perceptive girl she was, Teio noticed the lingering frown on Myriad's brow.
She blinked her big eyes, leaned in closer, and thrust the orange-yellow drink in her hand toward Myriad's face, recommending it enthusiastically.
"Myriad-senpai, you look a bit out of energy! Want a sip of this Honey Special? It'll make you feel much better! It's super sweet~"
"Honey Special?"
Myriad Dreams looked at the thick-looking liquid with some curiosity.
Besides chewing gum, she didn't usually have much contact with sweet drinks like this.
"Yeah, yeah! Right over there!"
Without a second thought, Teio grabbed Myriad's hand and briskly led her to a small food cart outside the Academy.
"Mister, another Honey Special, please! Extra honey!"
Soon, a chilled drink radiating a dense honey aroma was handed to Myriad Dreams.
The two of them took their drinks and returned to the bench.
Myriad Dreams looked at the colorful straw sticking out of the cup. After a moment's hesitation, she leaned down and took a sip.
"—!!!"
In the next second, an incredibly aggressive, thick, almost syrupy sweetness exploded in her mouth!
The sweetness was beyond her wildest imagination, as if she had swallowed a giant gulp of liquid honey.
It was so cloying it even made her throat feel slightly scorched!
"Pfft... cough, cough!"
She whipped her head up, covering her mouth, and barely managed to swallow the mouthful.
An indescribable expression crossed her face.
"Th-This is way too sweet and heavy!"
"Eh? Really?"
Tokai Teio tilted her head with an innocent expression.
She took a big, blissful gulp herself, her face glowing with absolute enjoyment and happiness.
"I think it's just right! Maybe... I just have a strong palate? Hehe~"
Looking at how Teio genuinely found it delicious, Myriad Dreams was momentarily at a loss for words.
She looked down at the sweet burden in her hand, then at Teio beside her, who was humming Hachimi and happily swinging her legs.
Surprisingly, the nerves that had been taut due to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe had loosened quite a bit without her realizing it.
'Oh well... though it's ridiculously sweet... it doesn't feel too bad?'
She let out a helpless smile and tried another small sip.
This time, being mentally prepared, the extreme sweetness didn't seem quite so shocking.
Instead, it brought a strange, warm sense of satisfaction.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, splashing over the two of them— one frowning while carefully tasting an over-sweetened drink, the other carefree and enjoying simple happiness.
This brief, leisurely time spent with her junior felt like a gentle breeze, temporarily blowing away the haze in Myriad's heart regarding the distant racetrack.
'Perhaps, when facing powerful enemies, keeping a heart that can still taste "sweetness" and feel warmth is just as important as raw strength'
Thinking this, Myriad took another sip of the Honey Special. This time, she didn't frown.
Not far away, a brown-haired figure radiating a powerful aura watched this scene quietly.
She was holding a cup of steaming, suspiciously colored liquid, her eyes filled with a complex gaze.